On the strategic plan measurement boards located in the
administration and coaches offices within VCU Athletics there are
several fund raising and facility construction goals listed to be
completed in the upcoming years. David Benedict is in charge
of accomplishing those goals.

Tapped by Norwood Teague in January 2010 to be VCU’s
Executive Associate Athletic Director for Development, David
Benedict brings a long history of successful fundraising campaigns
to the Rams athletic department. As a lead developer for
businesses and universities in Arizona and California, Benedict has
overseen well over $5million worth of donations.

Following a standout football career at Southern Utah, and a
short stint as a college football coach in New Mexico, Benedict
entered the fund raising world at Arizona State where he would
spend the next ten years of his career.

While at ASU, Benedict climbed from an intern in the athletic
department to an Associate Athletic Director of Development and the
Executive Director of ASU’s fund raising arm, the Sun Angel
Foundation.

“When I first met David, he was at the beginning of his
career at Arizona State,” says Teague, “and even then
you could tell that he was going to be a successful fund
raiser. That market is not an easy sports market to navigate
with the likes of four professional sports teams and the University
of Arizona 60 miles away. But David is a natural fund raiser
and each time he was tapped for a new position within their
department, he excelled.”

While at Arizona State, Benedict assisted in a one million
dollar gift matching campaign. Originally slated to last for
12 months, Benedict and his staff reached their goal in only four
short months.

What They're
Saying

“David brings a wealth of outstanding experience to VCU
Athletics. He has served in senior development positions at a
number of big time athletic programs in California and the desert
southwest and secured several very major private gifts for those
programs. We are very pleased to have him at VCU as we look to
expand our athletic programs. He and Norwood will make a great
team. "

Peter Wyeth
Vice President of VCU's Development and Alumni Relations

Following a decade of work and millions of dollars in gifts,
Benedict left the education field and entered the private sector as
the Senior Vice President for the Scottsdale Health Care
Foundation. While there he helped their foundation raise a
record $17million through annual, major and planned gifts.

Benedict’s passion for college athletics runs so deep,
however, that he could only stay away from its fund raising fields
for one year. After a year in the private sector,
Benedict went back to school as the Senior Associate Athletic
Director for External Relations at Long Beach State
University. He picked up where he left off at Arizona State
by immediately making an impact on the giving levels for the
49ers. When Benedict got to The Beach in 2007 he
increased donations by $700,000. He followed that up in 2008
by increasing the level by almost $6million, a staggering figure
for the Big West school.

At VCU, Benedict will oversee a Development staff of five as
well as the ticket office and the baseball and golf programs.

“We have some auspicious goals to obtain in the upcoming
years at VCU, goals that you can’t just assume are going to
happen because we put them down on paper,” says Teague.
“I don’t think there’s any fund raiser in the
country I would rather have on my staff to lead us to these
accomplishments other than David Benedict.”

Benedict and his wife Lisa have twin boys, Jake and Sam and live
in the West End. Lisa was an All-American gymnast at Arizona State.
She is a member of the Sun Devil Athletic Hall of Fame and was
recently inducted into the New York State Athletic Hall of
Fame.